Directions and Location

• Municipality: Sadsbury Township and West Caln Township
• From the east, turn right onto Compass Road just after the Route 30 Bypass merges back into Business Route 30.
• From the west, turn left onto Compass Road.
• Once you are on Compass Road - follow Compass Road to Skiles/ Scroggy Drive and turn right. Drive east on Skiles/ Scroggy Drive until you reach Old Wilmington Road and turn right. Look for North Wood Drive on your right. Turn into the subdivision. Entrance to preserve is at the end of North Wood Drive. A gravel pull off area is available for limited parking and a preserve sign is prominently displayed at this location. Brochures (which include a trail map) are available through the preserve manager and through the Web site listed above.

General Information

Preserve open during daylight hours only.  Please observe all rules and regulations, be courteous of the private property owner and other guests. Dogs should be under control at all times. A list of the rules and regulations is posted at the trailhead and on the preserve/ trail map that is linked to this document via the button above.

Total Acreage Preserved at Site: The Sadsbury Woods Preserve has grown from the original 160-acre parcel, acquired in 1996, to more than 430 acres. Of the 430 plus protected acres, 405 were preserved with public funds provided by the Commissioners of Chester County. The preserve is a result of the initiative of Natural Lands Trust, Inc., grants from the Commissioners of Chester County, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, private foundations, and to landowners who were willing to sell their land for conservation purposes. One landowner recalled exploring these woods as a child and wanted to ensure that his grandchildren and great-grandchildren would be able to do the same.

Grants from Chester County: Through the Preservation Partnership Program, Chester County has provided approximately $890,000 in grants to Natural Lands Trust to acquire 405 acres at the Sadsbury Woods Preserve. The average cost to the County is slightly less than $2,200 per acre. The tax map parcel numbers and appraised market value at the time of acquisition for all parcels acquired using Chester County grant funds are listed on the table below.

Tax Parcel Number	Appraised Value When Acquired
28-8-38	$40,000
28-8-40 & 28-8E-10	$250,000
37-1-44.3	$67,500
37-1-39.3	$55,000
37-2-8	$254,500
37-2-1	$22,400
37-2-4	$170,000
37-1-44.2	$58,000
37-1-42.1	$40,000
37-1-42.1A	$18,000
28-8-46 & 37-1-44	$311,000
28-8-36	$33,300
37-1-44.5	$56,000
37-2-3	$153,000
37-1-45	$194,500

Site Public Benefits

Natural Features: Sadsbury Woods contains an increasingly rare area of interior woodlands (defined as an area at least 300 meters from any edge, such as road, lawn or meadow). Many species of birds depend on this habitat, especially neo-tropical migrant songbirds. Another important ecological feature of the preserve is Buck Run, a tributary of the Brandywine River. Since acquiring the land, Natural Lands Trust (NLT) has planted native trees and shrubs along the creek to better filter nutrients from groundwater and to provide a native food source for aquatic invertebrates. The preserve also includes a 30-acre pasture that is nestled between the woodlands and Route 30. The pasture is currently leased to a dairy farmer and NLT is working with him to make the area a showcase of sustainable agriculture techniques.

Wildlife Habitats: The deep woods of this preserve provide critical habitat for over 40 species of birds, especially neo-tropical migrant songbirds. These colorful birds winter in South America and breed during the spring and summer in North America. To survive here, they need abundant food and protection from habitat fragmentation and human disturbance that are provided at Sadsbury Woods Preserve’s interior forest.

Public Access Improvements (on-site and nearby facilities):

• Parking: A pull off area that can accommodate two to four vehicles.
• Public Telephone: None
• Indoor Facilities: None
• Trails: Over 2 miles of trails are open to passive public use. Horseback riding is permitted on designated trails under good conditions provided the user rides to and from the preserve (horse trailers are not accommodated at the pull off parking area).
• ATVs and mountain bikes are not permitted.
• Drinking Water: None provided
• Picnic Areas: No formal picnic areas are on site.